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Odisha Lokayukta orders probe into alleged scam in purchase of PPE kits
The complainants also alleged that even other essential pharmaceutical goods and critical care equipment were purchased at much higher rates by the officials with an ulterior motive of wrongful gain.
The Odisha Lokayukta has asked the state vigilance department to probe alleged irregularities in the purchase of PPE kits, masks and other equipment during the Covid pandemic early this year and submit the preliminary report within two months.
After the final hearing in the case filed by petitioners Sudarsan Das and Susanta Padhi was over on Monday, Lokayukta Ajit Singh ordered the probe.
“A preliminary inquiry has to be conducted by the director of vigilance to see whether to combat Covid-19, essential pharmaceutical good and critical equipment, including 3-layered masks, were purchased on higher rates by Hemant Sharma and other public servants with an ulterior motive for their wrongful gain,” the Lokayukta said in his order.
The anti-corruption body also said a competent officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police/additional Superintendent of Police having impeccable integrity has to complete the probe within the next two months.
The order came after industry secretary Hemant Sharma and managing director of Odisha State Medical Corporation Yamini Sarangi appeared before the Lokayukta, in connection with the alleged irregularities in the purchase of PPE kits and masks.
Sharma, currently working as principal secretary of the industries department, in April was given the charge procurement for Covid-19 as chief minister Naveen Patnaik asked his officials to be “prepared for the worst”. The officer was among the key people who led the ‘emergency procurement’ team dealing with purchase of personal protective equipment, viral transport media, testing kits and other medical essentials required in the management of the disease.
In their petition, the complainants had alleged that there was corruption in the procurement of masks, testing kits, Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) machines, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits, Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP) machines, nebuliser, etc, during the Corona pandemic by the Odisha State Medical Corporation Ltd and Hemanta Sharma, who was entrusted by the state government to supervise the process of procurement.
On April 6 this year, Sarangi, the MD of OSMC, had issued a public notice seeking an open tender for the purchase of triple layer face mask at ₹10/- per piece but on April 17, the corporation purchased 30 lakh face masks from M/s Vishnu Disposable Pvt Ltd, Tamilnadu at ₹16/- per piece flouting the modalities of procurement. The petitioners had alleged that Hemant Sharma was the chief architect of the purchase and his complicity is well made out when he publicly said that blank cheques have been issued for the purchase of the essential pharmaceutical goods and critical care equipment.
The complainants alleged that the same quality of masks was purchased by different states at much lower prices.
The complainants also alleged that even other essential pharmaceutical goods and critical care equipment were purchased at much higher rates by the officials with an ulterior motive of wrongful gain.
Both Sharma and Sarangi in their replies before the Lokayukta denied the allegations of corruption and wrongful gain. Sharma said the procurement was absolutely transparent with no preferential treatment to any supplier.
Sarangi said all the procurements were made mainly to protect the people from Covid-19 virus and save their precious lives and that too after approval by the Emergency Procurement Committee and Empowered Group of Ministers as well as by the state Cabinet.
Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, additional chief secretary of health and family welfare department, said the process of procurement was undertaken before he joined.
“The complaints have to be viewed from a standpoint that the scourge of Covid-19 pandemic has been unprecedented, causing unforeseen consequences and hazards. Apart from the fact that it is a viral disease, the world knows little how to combat it. On the emergence of a situation like this, in a welfare state, the response of the government, to arrest the menace of the pandemic has necessarily to be an out of box one. Nevertheless, in a parliamentary democracy, the people have a right to know, whether the response of the government to the present pandemic, has been an honest one and up to their desired expectation,” the Lokayukta said.
